Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 583, 581: Sour
Beijing, Feng Xiaogang's studio.

On the television, CCTV6's live broadcast signal had switched to the highlights and interviews after the opening ceremony, and the host, Tu Jingwei, was excitedly introducing the star-studded event.

Feng Xiaogang slammed the TV off and tossed the remote onto the coffee table piled high with scripts and storyboards with a thud.

The studio was filled with smoke. He took a deep drag, squinted, and his expression was like that of someone who had just chewed an unripe plum, sour and a little resentful.

"That's fucking high-stakes stuff..." he muttered to himself, as if speaking to Wang Shuo beside him, or perhaps to himself.

Wang Shuo, sprawled on the opposite sofa, looking half-asleep, lifted his eyelids slightly upon hearing this: "Boss Wang is playing the game of scale now, setting the rules. While we're still figuring out how to win awards within the circle he's drawn, he's already set up his own awards jar, inviting top experts from all over the world to compete. Can we even compete with that?"

Feng Xiaogang clicked his tongue but didn't reply.

He has a clear mind.

His self-made comedy film is still in post-production, targeting the less competitive Spring Festival season. He's also eyeing the domestic Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards, and at most, the Hong Kong Film Awards.

But what about Wang Sheng?

Without making a sound, they directly planted the banner of the "China-US International Film Festival" in Hollywood's home base.

Look at the list of nominated films: "Million Dollar Baby," "Sideways," "The Sea Inside"... What are these?

He's a top contender for next year's Oscars!

It's a highly acclaimed film at the three major European film festivals!
SAIFF's starting point is not just high, it's like standing atop Mount Hua, looking down at the masses below who are still fighting tooth and nail for a few domestic awards.

"You tell me... can this thing work? Can it last?" Feng Xiaogang couldn't help but ask, his tone carrying a probing tone that he himself didn't realize.

He secretly hoped that this was just a fleeting moment of extravagance orchestrated by Wang Sheng, but he also had a nagging feeling that, given the kid's penchant for never making a losing deal, this matter was probably not so simple.

Wang Shuo scoffed: "Whether it can last depends on what happens next. But as long as Wang Sheng's Shengying Group doesn't collapse, and his capital, channels, and frightening content production capabilities don't crumble, this film festival will have a solid foundation."

Surpassing the Golden Horse and Golden Statue Awards? That's only a matter of time. The Golden Rooster Award? Heh, that depends on how you look at it… But in terms of international influence, SAIFF's background already carries an 'international flair,' so their starting point is definitely different.”

Feng Xiaogang fell silent.

He recalled how much effort he had put into getting "A Sigh" to win the Golden Rooster Award for Best Screenplay, and how it ultimately ended in an unpleasant situation.

Then look at Wang Sheng, who effortlessly created a stage that looks even more "high-class".

This kind of overwhelming attack left him feeling suffocated, a sense of powerlessness mixed with jealousy gnawing at his pride as a director.

"Ugh……"

……

Under the same sky.

Inside a house in a residential building.

Lu Chuan sank into the soft sofa, the television in front of him playing the same content, but his eyes were vacant, as if he saw something else through the screen.

Although the controversy surrounding "Kekexili" ended in a "reconciliation," the price he paid was heavy.

His reputation was ruined, his projects were shelved, and he was almost blacklisted in the industry.

Now, he can only hide in this corner like an invisible man, licking his wounds.

Watching Wang Sheng announce the opening of the film festival with great enthusiasm on the screen, and seeing those internationally renowned directors and stars smiling as they walked the red carpet at SAIFF, Lu Chuan felt his heart clench repeatedly.

He once dreamed of taking his work to Berlin and Venice and standing on the international film awards stage.

Now, he can hardly even step out of the country, while the person who plunged him into despair has become the "chairman" of an international film festival, crowning other people's works.

This stark contrast was like a dull knife, repeatedly cutting into his nerves. "Playing with awards... hah, he's already started playing with awards..." Lu Chuan repeated the sentence in a low voice, his voice filled with bitterness and self-mockery.

While he was still struggling to survive the stigma of "plagiarism," the other party had already transcended this level of struggle and begun to define what is "good" and what is "worthy of reward."

Can SAIFF surpass the Three Golds in the future?
He didn't know, but he did know that from the moment this film festival was born, a hole had been torn in the evaluation system of Chinese-language films.

Wang Sheng is trying to become one of the developers of that new, more globally-oriented evaluation standard.

This is undoubtedly a great tragedy and irony for him, who is still struggling within the traditional award system, and for directors in similar situations.

He was even stripped of the right to compete at the table, while others were already building new tables.

……

In an apartment in Shanghai with a view of the Huangpu River.

Wang Jiawei was still wearing his signature sunglasses, making it impossible to see the emotions in his eyes.

The television in front of him was silent, with only the image flickering, casting erratic light and shadow on his face.

The failure of "2046" in mainland China was a huge blow to his confidence.

That was not just a failure at the box office and in terms of critical acclaim, but also a setback for his "auteur film" philosophy, which he relied on for survival, under certain authoritarian rules.

The opening of SAIFF and the impressive shortlist were like a beam of light, illuminating his somewhat gloomy state of mind.

He saw a possibility, a new platform that might transcend geographical and traditional prejudices.

But then, an even deeper sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.

This platform was spearheaded by Wang Sheng.

As for Wang Jiawei, because of his previous "lack of understanding of the rules," he has already been excluded from this system.

At least in the short term, he sees no possibility of any interaction with SAIFF.

He looked at the familiar faces of international filmmakers on the screen, many of whom were friends he had met in Cannes and Venice.

Now, they chat and laugh on Wang Sheng's stage, while I can only be a distant bystander.

"The starting point... is indeed very high." He finally sighed softly.

With his artistic eye, he could naturally see the taste and ambition of the first SAIFF selection.

It encompasses the most representative auteur films and high-quality commercial films from around the world each year.

Can this film festival, dominated by Chinese capital, with a very high starting point and backed by the two major markets of China and the United States, surpass the more regional Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards, and even the more officially recognized Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards, to become a brand new and more internationally credible benchmark for Chinese-language films and even Asian films?
Wang Jiawei pushed up his sunglasses.

It's possible, absolutely possible.

The Golden Horse is content with its limited territory, the Golden Image is complacent and stagnant, and the Golden Rooster has too many balances to consider.

SAIFF, from its inception, has been driven by a global mindset, and is led by Wang Sheng, an unconventional and resource-rich leader.

As long as he continues to invest in the project and maintains relative fairness in judging and discerning taste in selecting films, it is not a pipe dream that his influence will surpass that of the three Golden Awards in the future.

But what does this "possibility" have to do with the Wang family's pretense?

He hasn't even received his admission ticket yet.

The feeling of watching a new shipping route open up, yet potentially missing out on a liner service, filled him with mixed emotions, a bittersweet feeling that was hard to describe.

(End of this chapter)